Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-21

announced that he was once moro on
his way home, and this time he asked
that, as he had been 30 delayed, the
marriage might take place the week
after his return. OF course there were
many objections, but, equally, OF
course, these objections were over
ruled, and the day OF the ceremony was
fixed on the Wednesday after the arrival
OF the traveller.
Unfortunately, the chapter OF acct
dents was only at its beginning. As
they speedily found, the marriage was
not to take place when arranged, for
another letter told Olive how Mr.. Brin-
ton had been attacked by fever in the
Red Sea, and Of the desperate extremity
to which he was brought. AT the bot
tom of this letter, written in strange
hand, there was faint pencil scrawl in
which the lover himself had tried to
send his own brief message of aifec
ton, despite tho weakness which
scarcely allowed his fingers to guide a
pencil.
A terrible time of anxiety spreal it.
self ont before those at home Olive
seemed to fail in health and to shun all
exertion, while all her interest ceutered
in the visits OF the postman, for whose
arrival she would watch wistfully, and
too often in vain. 1t was only at his
approach that she shook off the lassi-
tudc which had become habitual on
such occasions she would run to the
gate, and even walk down the lane to
meet him and TO see whether he
had letter for her. Some
times she returned brighter than
She went, for then she had letter and
knew at least that he still lived.
They followed his course closely. 1t
was at first but poor consolation to
hear that he had been put ashore at
Malta, but after that letters came more
frequently. and each one seemed to
give further accounts of improvement,
till at length it was announced That he
WAS coming over to the mainland to
make the best of his way home. There
WAS something OF comfort in the
thought that the distance which lay be-
tween them could be bridged in days,
and anxiety grew less and hope more
hardy as mail after mail brought the
news of increasing strength.
Once clear of the hot South his
health seemed to return with a sudden
bound, and when a letter came from
Paris there seemed no longer room for
doubt as to his speedy return. In the
train to BoulognC, however, he showed
signs of fresh feebeness, once indeed
fainting away, to the alarm Of an old
friend who had come over to France to
meet him. When he revived his first
remark, rs his friend wrote to Olives
mother. was true evidence of the
strength of his attachment, for, with
faint smile, he said: "Ah I've quite fall
sifed my little Olives pet theory" She,
it seems. with girlish potulance. had
oftentimes maintained that nobody
need faint ii only their mind was made
up to resist the impulse. At Boulogne
lie was taken into the hotel and put to
bed. To his friends mingled horror
and amusement he showed SYMPTOMS Of
having caught the measles, a mater
soon rut bcyonda doubt by the opinion
of an English doctor staying in the
house. Fortunately the attack was but
slight, and the lapse Of three weeks saw
him restored to state of health more
satisfactory than that which he had ell
joyed since his first illness.
Now, indeed, wo must return to
Olive. At last her hopes were nearing
their fulflment. She grew more
cheerful, brighter, and every morning
she came down stairs humming light
song Of gladneSs, while her eyes glisten-
ed softly with the feelings Of love rem
deIcd more potent by the trials it had
undergone. She ana her father were
to go up 10 London to greet him on his
arrival. but at the last minute their de-
parture was postponed by letter from
the friends with whom they were to
stay. They were in great trOuble--in-
deed, wholly unable to take them in.
Bat this matter seemed Of slight &C
count. as the next day they heard that
Henry had reached town, and pro-
posed, after a delay of two days, to
come straight on to the North.
Their surmise was all too hasty, for a
few days proved that it had been bet
ter for them to go up to town despite all
inconvenience. The measles had left
weakness OF the eyesight, and after
seeing his doctor Henry Brinton found
it necessary to remain fora week longer
to consult an oculist. 1t was not with
out feelings of trepidation that they
awaited the account OF the interview;
but when ii came they were once more
to experience the feeling, SO often re-
peated in their case, of relief. He wrote
that there was little the matter with
lis eyes, and that he could come down
tie day they would receive his
note. They met the train he had
chosen, but he was not in ia fact
easily accounted for in the evening,
when they got hurried scrawl to say
that he had beer forcel to attend at
police court to give evidence in a
tIumpeTy case Of assault, Of which he
Lad been a witness the day before.
I his over, there was nothing to delay
him, and lie would leave by the news
rartr train On the following morning.
/ he day came. and with 1t the appear
ance a H. akfast. still, to any one
wlo can view tie conditions OF the
case without lr-jIdice. It must appear
cousolatory that none OF their appetitcs
we've keen. since they were bound to
lie uusati,.icd through the necessity 0.
lu!rying down t. the station some hall
hour before it WAS necessary.
Olive, with her sister and father,
raced up and down the long platform
IA on excitement hardly unnatural un-
der all the circumstances. They all felt
inflated. first with the train because 1t
aid not cone before It's time, then with
themselves because they had hurried.
Olive herself was thc calmcst OF the
tho. though her eager eyes showed how
.ho felt, and her tightly interlaced fin
ccls were An evidence of the cOnstraint
which she WAS putting on her emotions.
st last the bell rang, and slowly
the train swept into the station.
They had hurried forward to
welcome him Olive to meet her
lover. the others to greet stranger
Eut where was he ? At first they had
waited for him to step ont on the plat
form then not seeing HIM they went
huiriedly along the train peering into
carriage after carriage, but the most
diligent search could convince them OF
but one thing-his absence. There
,voe ,,o p.eccnpor bv tha train HINT